Poll: 51% of Des Moines students hopeful

Luke Alexander, 12, uses a palette to draw a smooth curve while creating his own monogram to personalize a portfolio in his art class at Indian Hills Junior High School on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014.(Photo: Holly McQueen/The Register)Buy Photo

Spurring student achievement in Iowa's largest school district will take more than just solid academics, a new survey suggests.

Recent poll results show that 51 percent of district students feel hopeful — a trait that can be a greater predictor of post-secondary success than a student's grade-point average or ACT scores, according to a growing body of academic research.

"That lets us know that we have our work cut out for us, and we've got to take steps to increase the level of hope that our students are feeling," said Matt Smith, the district's interim chief of schools. "… If our students don't feel hopeful about who they are as a person and the opportunities that they have within our school system and within our community, we're still missing the boat somewhere."

The Des Moines survey was conducted in conjunction with the national Gallup Student Poll, which measures hope, engagement and well-being. Roughly 13,750 district students in fifth through 12th grades participated in the 20-question survey last fall.

Of those respondents, 57 percent said they were engaged in school and 60 percent described themselves as thriving.

The poll will be conducted again this fall and in the spring, in an effort to determine whether increasing academic and co-curricular opportunities for students can change the way Des Moines students feel about themselves and their futures.

The power of hope shouldn't be underestimated, said Brandon Busteed, executive director of Gallup Education, which oversees the poll.

Gallup researchers describe hope as the ideas and energy students have for the future.

To succeed in school, youngsters often need to set their sights on a larger goal, Busteed said.

When students don't know where they're going — or how they'll get there — studying for a test, seeking a summer job or applying for college financial aid can seem futile.

But Busteed is heartened by efforts already underway in Des Moines, where the poll results have sparked conversations about the importance of helping kids find their passions and make plans for the future.

District officials expect to expand that initiative in 2014-15 by partnering with local community groups and businesses to provide more extracurricular and work experiences for students.

"For Des Moines, I think this can be a galvanizing moment," Busteed said. "Hope is malleable, it can go up and down. And it's also viral — people who are highly hopeful spread hope to others."

That was the experience of Leah Waughtal, a 2014 North High School graduate who now attends the University of Iowa.

The 18-year-old grew up poor, often living in homeless shelters with her mother, who battled addiction.

Although she was bright, Waughtal kept her head down and her expectations low until joining Movement 515, a creative writing club for Des Moines students.

"All of a sudden, I had this group of kids rallying around me who were incredibly passionate and excited about the future," the Pleasant Hill teen said.

She started sharing her poetry on stage.

Many of the events were hosted by local nonprofits.

"I started to see people doing charity work who came from very similar backgrounds as me — very humble backgrounds — and they were doing great things for their community," said Waughtal, who hopes to pursue similar work. "I think there are a lot of kids who have never been given that chance."

The 2013 Gallup Student Poll, a free service, was administered to more than 600,000 students in 2,000 school districts across the country. Overall, 54 percent of respondents said they were hopeful — a figure slightly higher than the Des Moines rate.

Building hope among district students is especially critical at this juncture Des Moines' history, said Elisabeth Buck, chief community impact officer with the United Way of Central Iowa.

Poverty among school-age children in Iowa's largest city has increased rapidly over the past decade.

The percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price meals in Des Moines went from 50 percent in 2003-04 to nearly 70 percent in 2013-14, putting more youngsters at risk for experiencing poor educational outcomes.

"There's a ripple effect; as they begin to feel hope, they become successful in school and in their lives," Buck said. "There will be greater career opportunities for them, helping them become successful citizens in our communities and thus reducing poverty over the long term."

Community members have an obligation to help guide the city's next generation of leaders, said David Wilkerson, Waukee schools superintendent and a leader in the Capital Crossroads initiative, a five-year plan to bolster economic vitality and quality of life in Des Moines and the surrounding communities.

Wilkerson was the first member of his family to attend college.

"You have to have parents that are encouraging that, but you also need people that are close to you showing you the steps you need to take and giving you the confidence that you can achieve those things," he said.

Des Moines will continue to expand extracurricular activities for students and increase the number of school counselors in the years ahead, district administrator Smith said.

The number of middle school students participating in extracurricular activities and the number of high school students enrolled in Advanced Placement classes each reached all-time highs in 2013-14.

Those experiences help students discover their interests and strengths, Smith said. In the years ahead, the district will look to community partners to help students further explore those passions through internships, mentoring and workplace visits.

For hope to grow, students not only have to have goals, Smith said. They also need to have a realistic plan for how they will achieve their dreams.

"I see (the poll results) as the start of a 'get-involved' campaign," Smith said.

"Hope is crucial; we can't allow our students to lose that."

Gallup Student Poll

Roughly 13,750 Des Moines students in fifth through 12th grades participated in the fall 2013 Gallup Student Poll, which included more than 600,000 respondents nationwide.

Students were asked 20 questions about what they do, how they think and how they feel about their home, school and community life. Gallup researchers used their responses to determine rates of student hope, engagement and well-being.